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Three dead as Typhoon Fitow lashes China

Chinese authorities say at least three people have died and 1,200 homes have collapsed as Typhoon Fitow slammed into the country's east coast.

Typhoon Fitow barrelled into China's east coast early on Monday, packing winds of more than 200 kilometres an hour, state media reported.

At least three people were reported killed, all of them near the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, the state broadcaster CCTV said.

One of the victims, 55-year-old Ni Wenlin, died "after strong wind blew him off a hill" late Sunday, Xinhua news agency said, citing municipal flood control authorities. Another person died of electric shock, CCTV said.

In the hard-hit county of Cangnan in Wenzhou, more than 1,200 homes collapsed and damages amounted to hundreds of millions of yuan, China National Radio said.The threat of the storm has forced about half a million people from their homes in China's Zhejiang province and tens of thousands more in the country's Fujiian province.

Thousands of fishermen were recalled to port and transport services in 35 cities have been affected with the suspension of train services.

Thousands evacuated

Authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of people and issued China's highest alert yesterday as Typhoon Fitow approached the mainland.

The National Meteorological Centre issued a red alert for the storm, which was packing winds of up to 151 kilometres an hour as it moved towards the coast.

Winds rose to 201 kilometres per hour in parts of Wenzhou, the official Xinhua news agency reported later, citing local flood control authorities.

Zhejiang has so far evacuated more than 574,000 people, while in Fujian 177,000 have been displaced, Xinhua said.

Two port workers in Wenzhou were missing and may have fallen into the sea, the agency added.

Train services and flights suspended

The storm forced the suspension of bullet train services in several cities in Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces, Xinhua said.

At least 59 bullet trains in Zhejiang were cancelled, along with 22 flights from the provincial capital Hangzhou and 27 in Wenzhou, the agency said.

Chinese maritime authorities also issued red alerts, warning of storm tides and waves, with fishermen urged to return to port and local authorities told to prepare harbour facilities and sea walls for high tides.

In Zhejiang more than 35,000 boats returned to harbour while in Fujian nearly 30,000 vessels were called back, according to Xinhua.

Named after a flower from Micronesia, Fitow has hit just two weeks after Typhoon Usagi wreaked havoc in the region, leaving at least 25 reported dead in southern China.